"Sleep. Now."

Dark City (1998), directed by Alex Proyas

In 1998, the year before the Wachowski brother's released The Matrix, Alex Proyas' Dark City appeared in theaters presenting a dystopian world of a slightly different ilk. Whereas in The Matrix Neo exits the world and perceives the truth in the first forty minutes of the film, in Dark City John Murdock (Rufus Sewell) awakens with questions about his environment right at the outset, and his process of self-discovery takes place throughout the course of the film. There's no questioning here about "the prophecy" and being "the One". The confidante in this case is no Oracle, but a rather strange psychiatrist (played maniacally by Kiefer Sutherland) who walks around holding secrets, mixing potions, and sticking needles into people's foreheads. There are no agents. (No, not in the way that there is no spoon...). Instead of agents, there are dark figures called The Strangers. The sunless city the people live in is the Stranger's handiwork. Their motive, however, resides much deeper, than using humans as batteries. They intend to use the city as an experiment to find out what makes humans tick. What drives them. What inspires their choices.

Unlike the more popular Matrix series, however, Dark City dives into questions that deal with love, the soul, choice, memory, and the well-being of mankind in a manner that is derived naturally out of the plot and world created. Visually, Dark City has a much darker and more contorted perspective on it's environment. The community feels a bit more like a set than a virtual reality computer program. Watch the film and you'll find out why. It's less flashy, but more developed. By the way, if you've seen Requiem for a Dream, then there is one particular visual you will likely recognize towards the end of the film. Darren Aronofsky must have been inspired by Jennifer Connelly's performance in Dark City before casting her for his own film. Make sure to be prepared to enter into a dark world when you watch it. If you have already seen this film, your mind is likely already made up about whether you like it or not. If you have not yet seen it, it's worth a good rental for the simple reality that Dark City goes deeper than the adventures of Neo and Company.

Books given as gifts are neat

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
By Mark Haddon
Published 2003, Vintage Books

Written from the perspective of autistic fifteen-year old Christopher Boone, 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' recounts his experiences while solving a murder mystery. The facts are there. The victim? A dog. The weapon? A garden fork. The spot of the crime? On the grass in the middle of the lawn belonging to the dog's owner. The suspect? To be determined by Cristopher's investigation. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that mysteries involved in the neighborhood go beyond just the death of a dog. Christopher Boone has as much to learn about himself, his family, and his community as he does about what events transpired in the night-time. Thankfully, the reader gets to tag along for his detective work. From the curious incident at the novel's opening to the last page, the story is told in a lively and honest fashion. Haddon keeps his narrator's tone and body of knowledge consistent throughout, providing the reader with a good sense that these thoughts are being honestly recorded from a real experience. Christopher Boone's struggles, interests, emotions, worldview, and decision-making processes are all conveyed with a sense of honesty. By the end, you will feel like you know him. Christopher's "mind's eye" is accentuated through the use of little picture graphics sprinkled throughout the text. The book welcomes the reader into an intelligent mind full of observations and unique perspectives most folks would never consider. For that alone, the book is a worthwhile experience. Plus, it is entertaining and easy to read.